An endurance road bike is a nice option because it gives a slightly more relaxed geometry than a racing bike, and tends to be a little more forgiving of road vibrations. They can be comfortable.
If you aren't ready to commit to a drop-bar bike, a road-oriented hybrid can be another good option. By road oriented, I mean no suspension, and road oriented tires.
There is another new-ish class of bike called 'All road' that features wider tires than a racing bike -- more in the hybrid tire size range, but with drop bars. That also seems like it could be an excellent option if the geometry suits.
I'd find a shop that has something on hand to represent each of those categories, and take them for a spin. Hybrids at 800+ are typically in a quality range that will last many miles. Road bikes more in the $1000+ range, and all road in a similar range are also going to be good enough quality to last a long time if well cared for. My Synapse (which is an endurance road bike) was around 1600, new. And my Quick CX (a slightly less road-oriented hybrid) was 850 new, though I bought it used for a lot less.
Whatever you buy, you'll probably add another $100 or more in accessories before you know it, so be prepared for that. My typical minimal setup will be a couple of bottle cages, a mini pump, a small saddle bag to carry flat repair stuff, an inexpensive bike computer, rear flasher, and pedals. But it can go up from there with things like headlights, rack, fenders, and so on. Before buying headlights, racks and fenders, though, ride the bike enough to know what you really need and what is just new buyer's excitement.